Winds Disrupt Power for Thousands in Midwest

Thunderstorms rumbled across the Midwest on Wednesday, hurling ferocious winds that smashed scores of windows in Chicago’s Sears Tower and knocked out power to thousands of customers in Illinois, Indiana and Michigan.

The storms, which developed along a cold front reaching from the Great Lakes to Texas, also dropped temperatures after record highs were reached a day earlier in more than 40 cities in the South and Midwest. In Chicago, where a high of 85 degrees was recorded Tuesday, it was 40 degrees cooler at noon Wednesday.

Winds from the storm in Chicago were clocked at 35 to 48 m.p.h., with gusts up to 75 m.p.h. The winds shattered more than 65 windows in Sears Tower, the world’s tallest building, and whipped up 20-foot waves on Lake Michigan.

Commonwealth Edison Co. workers spent much of the day restoring power to about 50,000 homes in the area that lost electric service.

Seven families had to be moved out of an apartment building in northwest suburban Schaumburg after high winds ripped away the roof, authorities said.

In southwest suburban Tinley Park and Orland Park, dozens of newly built homes and apartment buildings suffered shingle and siding damage, residents said. Trees were damaged throughout the Chicago area, and heavy rains touched off local flooding.

Winds reached 61 m.p.h. in Lafayette, Ind., as the storm pounded northwest and central Indiana, downing tree limbs and power lines, ripping roofs off buildings and knocking down walls.

Thunderstorms accompanied by 60-m.p.h. winds and marble-size hail pounded southwest Michigan early Wednesday, knocking out power to thousands of homes and businesses, officials said.